Urquidi had been among the most-wanted fugitives sought by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in El Paso.

Urquidi, 47, was to make his initial appearance in federal court in Downtown El Paso on Thursday, a day after he was handed over to the U.S. by Mexican authorities, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

According to the indictment, Urquidi allegedly belonging to a violent cocaine distribution cell in Juárez involving corrupt police officers working for the Sinaloa cartel.

Garduño cell

The "Garduño cell" was allegedly run by Sergio Garduño Escobedo, a former station commander for the Chihuahua state police known as "Coma" or "Comandante."

"Prior to the cartel war, Garduño paid the tax on behalf of the Sinaloa cartel granting them permission from the Juárez cartel to move drugs through the Juárez plaza," the indictment stated.

Garduño was allegedly in charge of supervising cartel security operations and warehouses where cocaine was stored in Juárez before it was smuggled into the United States.